Practice and Policy: Rural and Urban Education Experiences
A special issue of Education Sciences (ISSN 2227-7102).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 1641
Special Issue Editors
Interests: rural education; gender and ethnicity in the teaching profession; educational administration and leadership; school–family partnership
Interests: educational isolation; rural, coastal and small schools; teacher retention, recrutiment and development
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
It is widely understood that the terms 'rural' and 'urban' are commonly used to describe places where individuals reside and grow up. Around the globe, these terms encompass a diverse range of settlements that share certain characteristics and are recognized by governance and policy based on either geographical or socio-cultural contexts.
The geographical dimension of 'urban' and 'rural' areas and settlements is defined by factors such as population density, proximity to central areas and the prevalence of different types of industries such as agriculture or manufacturing. The socio-cultural dimension, on the other hand, is defined by economic, political and social resources, which manifest in varying degrees of relative power. Educational opportunities are influenced by both geographical and socio-cultural dimensions.
Residential areas encompass various and sometimes overlapping dimensions of race, ethnicity, income and status, and each can have a notable impact on educational equality for two key reasons. Firstly, the environment in which individuals grow up significantly influences their opportunities to access domains such as employment, education and health. Secondly, place of residence indirectly affects educational opportunities through the education system and its outcomes.
Residential areas thus play a crucial role in the lives of children and adults, offering access to a variety of strengths, assets, social opportunities and interactions. As schools often mirror the neighborhoods they serve, residential areas tend to be reflected in their local education system. Consequently, children in rural or urban areas may have differential access to educational opportunities due to the opportunity structures inherent in diverse geographic contexts. The implications of rural and urban contexts also impact the work of teachers and principals, school–family partnerships, teacher education programs and the recruitment and placement of teachers in diverse environments.
Focusing on the concepts of rural and urban areas can deepen our understanding of the ways in which context can shape educational experiences. Emphasizing the idea that places matter, this Special Issue aims to gather a collection of papers related to practice and policy regarding rural and urban education experiences. The scope of the Special Issue is broad, and we welcome the submission of original research articles, theoretical articles and literature reviews. Original research articles can utilize various research methods, including qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods. Research papers may center on rural education, urban education or an examination of the similarities, differences and connections between rural and urban schools, settlements or areas. Additionally, research can encompass pre-school, K–12 or higher education experiences. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following themes:
- Principals' and teachers' roles in rural and/or urban environments.
- Challenges related to teacher preparation, recruitment and retention in rural and/or urban schools.
- Educational considerations of internal migration between rural and urban areas.
- Educational opportunities in rural and/or urban schools.
- Formal and informal educational activities and settings in rural and/or urban areas.
- Rural/urban educational identities.
- Rural/urban educational literacies.
- Educational innovation and locally based initiatives in rural and/or urban areas.
- Education curriculum issues or developments in rural and/or urban schools.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Yael Grinshtain
Prof. Dr. Tanya Ovenden-Hope
Prof. Dr. Jayne Downey
Leading Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Education Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- rural education
- urban education
- coastal education
- internal migration
- educationally isolated schools
- remoteness
- periphery
- centre
- teacher preparation, recruitment, retention and supply
